CNET Update: Sony touts streaming, Nintendo reveals Amiibo

CNET Update: Sony touts streaming, Nintendo reveals Amiibo

2:54 /
June 10, 2014

At E3 2014, Sony shows off new PlayStation hardware and services for streaming, and Nintendo demos Amiibo toy figurines that work with Wii U and 3DS games.

Sony shines at E3, and Nintendo plays with toys.
I'm Bridget Carey, and this is your CNET update.
The annual E3 Video Game Trade Show continues in Los Angeles, and a takeaway is that Sony's clear champion of the conference.
Well, at least for the more serious gamer crowd.
Sony had more to show off to persuade you to buy a Playstation 4 compared to Microsoft's Xbox One presentation.
And as for family-friendly Nintendo, the company's doing a barrel roll to keep the Wii U flying with a new Star Fox game and interactive toy figurines that are similar to Skylanders.
But let's start with Sony, which has new products and a new service to stream games.
Later this year, you'll be able to buy a PlayStation TV, which is a small set top box that takes the PlayStation games you would play on your portable Vita, and streams them to a television.
And if your PS4 is hooked up in the living room, well the PlayStation TV can stream those games to a second TV set in the house, like say, your bedroom.
It was launched last year in Japan, but now it's heading to the U.S. and Canada for $99.
Sony is also making a white version of the PS4.
And in September, you can buy it bundled with the game Destiny.
PlayStation Now is a new service that lets you stream video games.
The beta testing begins July 31st and Sony hasn't set the prices yet.
Microsoft didn't show off any new hardware services.
Last year, Microsoft faced a backlash over some Xbox One features, so this year, it took a humble tone and avoided any mention of the Xbox One system or its abilities.
Instead it only highlighted games.
So if you were undecided over which system to buy, Sony's presentation was the better sell.
No contest.
Nintendo had a few fun game announcements that could boost sales of the Wii U. There are collector toys called Amiibos.
And just like Skylanders, these Amiibos have a chip inside, that when you place it on top of a game pad controller, it'll load your character into the game.
And data is also saved onto the toy.
Now it'll first work with Super Smash Brothers on the Wii U. And it'll also be available on other Nintendo games, like Mario Kart 8. Nintendo also announced that in the new Super Smash Brothers, you could fight as your own Mii character.
There's going to be a Mario Maker game in 2015 that'll let you build your own 2D Mario level.
And Star Fox is returning.
The popular Nintendo character is getting a Wii U game, where you'll have to move the game pad around to fly.
That's your tech news update, you can find more E3 news at cnet.com/e3.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.